Great piece Jason. At 68 and drawing nearer the destination, I appreciate the encouragement to see each day of the journey as a blessing to be entrusted to God and enjoyed as His gift. The world has done a major disservice in trying to convince us that each day should be an “ultimate” in experience of the world’s attractions, far from God’s design. Jeremiah 6:16, Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Praying that God would let my eyes see where the good way is and to walk in it.
Thank you, Glenn. I should have put this in the post, but every time I see the title of my newsletter I think of this scripture from Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." It's a great reminder that every day is valuable and every day is good if for no other reason than God has made it for us. I think a lot of what we get out of life is in our mindset. We can choose to dwell on past hurts, negativity, and regrets or we can choose to find the good and valuable in each day. We don't always get to choose our situation but we can always choose how we respond.
Thank you for reading and sharing with us. I appreciate it!
I have lived on the experience of this road in one way or another for 44years. Your historical portraits are quite colorful and insightful. This connection of the traveler to the experience spiritually & temporily is a great way to connect the mundane dots that never seem so mundane in the light of Him who is always in this pattern of travel with us. As I read this I am no less than three blocks from the subject of your sthdy today. Hard to quantify the hand of providene a road like Route 66 can have on towns like OKC. Your conection with Psalm 16 is particularly insightful. Look forward to tomorrow not just for the history but because history is His story!
Thank you for the kind words, Brian. I appreciate you taking the time to read and to share your story. No spoilers, but tomorrow's lesson was a fun one for me. 🙂
We fell in love with Route 66 in Tucumcari New Mexico the city of murals. It was so much like that movie Cars with Owen Wilson. My hubby and I took our 5th wheel from Michigan to California in 2017. We didn't have a particular plan except to be in Anaheim CA for a conference. We fell in love with New Mexico and stumbled on Tucumcari where we literally saw the effects of decommissioned Rte 66. We want to take another trip back on Route 66. Excellent piece, especially of seeing the affects of being in a hurry and taking the highway, over experiencing a slower pace.
We'll be in Amarillo next week on our way to Colorado. That's not too far from Tucumcari, but it's out of our way by nearly an hour. Doh! I'm not sure I can get my wife to take that detour.
Wellll we would tell you to go, but you may not be able to and you might not find it the way we did. Safe travels and don't be afraid to be spontaneous!😉
This is one of the most beautiful meditations you have written. And to me it brings back many memories of living in northern Arizona, and of family trips to California or the Midwest. Perhaps the most vital point that you make is the importance of living in the present. That is vital for truly seeing the people and other glories that God has created. That is the way to make room for hospitality in its broadest scriptural sense. It is also the way to find freedom from past "what ifs" and from future anxieties. Thankfully, the highway of our lives is never decommissioned - God gives us all the time we need to reach our destination.
Thank you, David. I agree that living in the present is vastly important. Changing your mindset in this way can literally change the way you view everything and everyone around you. Concerning your last statement I like to imagine that God has our journey mapped out but He's ok if we take an occasional detour. But, just like my wife on a road trip, he eventually nudges us back onto the road and back on course. If we ever feel lost, we can just ask Him for the map.
My parents drove from Michigan to Disneyland in 1958. Most of the drive was on Route 66. Despite the nauseating fumes from the Alfalfa dehydrators in Kansas, it was an amazing experience.
Frequently, they would stop and visit with fellow travelers.
It is ironic that the Interstate Highway system, that was once so modern and successful, is now a congested mess with too many vehicles (especially trucks) and too much reconstruction and repair. It's almost as if it is a metaphor for our current corporate world and how we have all quit being friendly.
Your metaphor is insightful. I'm sure many people at the time thought Route 66 was too long or too slow or too something else. A lot of those people probably had high hopes for the interstate system. Now, here we are trying to find a solution to help the interstate system. There's nothing new in history, as they say...
I like Charles, traveled Route 66 in late June 1958. We went from LA to Chicago after visiting California and Disneyland. It is a trip I'll never forget! My Dad even let me drive ( I was well underage) through parts of western New Mexico... Thanks for another great post.
It was a different time. Even in the early 80s I can remember sitting on my dad's lap for short stretches WHILE he drove! I would have liked to have traveled that route back then.
Great piece Jason. At 68 and drawing nearer the destination, I appreciate the encouragement to see each day of the journey as a blessing to be entrusted to God and enjoyed as His gift. The world has done a major disservice in trying to convince us that each day should be an “ultimate” in experience of the world’s attractions, far from God’s design. Jeremiah 6:16, Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Praying that God would let my eyes see where the good way is and to walk in it.
Thank you, Glenn. I should have put this in the post, but every time I see the title of my newsletter I think of this scripture from Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." It's a great reminder that every day is valuable and every day is good if for no other reason than God has made it for us. I think a lot of what we get out of life is in our mindset. We can choose to dwell on past hurts, negativity, and regrets or we can choose to find the good and valuable in each day. We don't always get to choose our situation but we can always choose how we respond.
Thank you for reading and sharing with us. I appreciate it!
I have lived on the experience of this road in one way or another for 44years. Your historical portraits are quite colorful and insightful. This connection of the traveler to the experience spiritually & temporily is a great way to connect the mundane dots that never seem so mundane in the light of Him who is always in this pattern of travel with us. As I read this I am no less than three blocks from the subject of your sthdy today. Hard to quantify the hand of providene a road like Route 66 can have on towns like OKC. Your conection with Psalm 16 is particularly insightful. Look forward to tomorrow not just for the history but because history is His story!
Blessings brother!
Thank you for the kind words, Brian. I appreciate you taking the time to read and to share your story. No spoilers, but tomorrow's lesson was a fun one for me. 🙂
We fell in love with Route 66 in Tucumcari New Mexico the city of murals. It was so much like that movie Cars with Owen Wilson. My hubby and I took our 5th wheel from Michigan to California in 2017. We didn't have a particular plan except to be in Anaheim CA for a conference. We fell in love with New Mexico and stumbled on Tucumcari where we literally saw the effects of decommissioned Rte 66. We want to take another trip back on Route 66. Excellent piece, especially of seeing the affects of being in a hurry and taking the highway, over experiencing a slower pace.
We'll be in Amarillo next week on our way to Colorado. That's not too far from Tucumcari, but it's out of our way by nearly an hour. Doh! I'm not sure I can get my wife to take that detour.
Wellll we would tell you to go, but you may not be able to and you might not find it the way we did. Safe travels and don't be afraid to be spontaneous!😉
Thank you for the wonderful story, the reference, and the inspiration it gives us. God Bless🙏🏻❤️
Thank you, Clara, for taking the time to check it out!
This is one of the most beautiful meditations you have written. And to me it brings back many memories of living in northern Arizona, and of family trips to California or the Midwest. Perhaps the most vital point that you make is the importance of living in the present. That is vital for truly seeing the people and other glories that God has created. That is the way to make room for hospitality in its broadest scriptural sense. It is also the way to find freedom from past "what ifs" and from future anxieties. Thankfully, the highway of our lives is never decommissioned - God gives us all the time we need to reach our destination.
Thank you, David. I agree that living in the present is vastly important. Changing your mindset in this way can literally change the way you view everything and everyone around you. Concerning your last statement I like to imagine that God has our journey mapped out but He's ok if we take an occasional detour. But, just like my wife on a road trip, he eventually nudges us back onto the road and back on course. If we ever feel lost, we can just ask Him for the map.
I loved the Rt 66 through New Mexico. It retained the flavor of the old Rt 66, with the great non-franchised mom-and-pop motels.
My parents drove from Michigan to Disneyland in 1958. Most of the drive was on Route 66. Despite the nauseating fumes from the Alfalfa dehydrators in Kansas, it was an amazing experience.
Frequently, they would stop and visit with fellow travelers.
It is ironic that the Interstate Highway system, that was once so modern and successful, is now a congested mess with too many vehicles (especially trucks) and too much reconstruction and repair. It's almost as if it is a metaphor for our current corporate world and how we have all quit being friendly.
Your metaphor is insightful. I'm sure many people at the time thought Route 66 was too long or too slow or too something else. A lot of those people probably had high hopes for the interstate system. Now, here we are trying to find a solution to help the interstate system. There's nothing new in history, as they say...
I like Charles, traveled Route 66 in late June 1958. We went from LA to Chicago after visiting California and Disneyland. It is a trip I'll never forget! My Dad even let me drive ( I was well underage) through parts of western New Mexico... Thanks for another great post.
It was a different time. Even in the early 80s I can remember sitting on my dad's lap for short stretches WHILE he drove! I would have liked to have traveled that route back then.